Text: Martin Melaugh ... Research: Fionnuala
McKennaMaterial is added to this site on a regular basis - information on this page may change

Full text of the letter from the Garvaghy Road Residents to the Portadown Orange Lodges, dated 11 June 1997

Dear Sir

We are writing to all Portadown Orangemen to explain our
position about the return route of your annual walk from the service of
worship at Drumcree Parish Church in July.

This is a sincere and genuine attempt to deal with many of the
misconceptions concerning our campaign to have an agreed temporary
partial re-routing of one of the many parades in Portadown each
summer.

Here are a number of points we would like to make for your
information.

We accept that, in an ideal society, everyone should enjoy the right to
the full freedom of expression of their political and civil beliefs.
Those rights include freedom of assembly, freedom of movement,
freedom of one's political, civil and religious beliefs.
We also recognise and accept the reality that, due to the political
conflict which has taken place on this island for many years and for the
past three decades in particular, we live in an abnormal society. Events
in Portadown in recent times are also significant: The events of
Drumcree 1995, the stand-off, the agreement and the subsequent
triumphalism by the unionist politicians and the Orange Order itself. The
events of Drumcree 1996, the violence and lawlessness, the death of
Michael McGoldrick and the behaviour of the RUC on the Garvaghy
Road on July 11. The recent murder of Robert Hamill by a gang on the
main street of Portadown.

Therefore, while we are agreed to working towards a future situation
whereby the rights of all can be respected and exercised freely and
equally, we recognise that certain limitations and responsibilities need to
be exercised in relation to particular rights and that due protection be
given to the rights of political, religious and ethnic minorities.
We suggest that both sides publicly apologise for any hurt, offence or
injustice caused by the conflict of interest in relation to marches.
The nationalist community recognises and accepts the right of the
Orange Order to parade to Drumcree and defends their right to hold a
religious service at that location.

The Orange Order are asked to recognise this willingness by
nationalists to secure the rights of Orangemen in relation to the parade
to their church service at Drumcree. The Orange Order is asked to
reciprocate this gesture by voluntarily re-routing their homeward parade
away from Drumcree and Garvaghy Roads and by returning to Carlton
Street Orange Hall by their outward route for an agreed period of time.
Such a gesture by the Orange Order would be viewed as a
demonstration of goodwill and sincere friendship towards the nationalist
community in Portadown.

Nationalists would recognise and accept such a gesture as not
foreseeing a future where Orange parades, as a true expression of
cultural diversity, would never be welcomed in nationalist areas of
Portadown.

Both sides will give an undertaking to embark upon a long-term
process aimed at securing full equality of treatment in relation to the
exercise of all rights for everyone, irrespective of their individual or
communal, political, civil and religious beliefs.
As we prepare to enter the new millennium, both sides agree to play a
full role in creating a society based on justice and equality of treatment
for all citizens in Portadown, in which every encouragement would be
given to the establishment of mutual respect and understanding.
Following the agreed period of time, or earlier, the question of Orange
parades along Drumcree and Garvaghy Roads can be reviewed, by
representatives of the nationalist community and Orangemen in
Portadown, in the light of any progress made in relation to the previous
two points.

We would emphasise that we are willing to meet with any Orangemen,
at any place and any time, to discuss any of the above points.
We sincerely hope that this letter will also go some way towards
building up inter-community confidence and respect so that we can
look forward not only to a peaceful summer but to a more peaceful and
tolerant era for all the people of our land.

EAMON STACK (Secretary)

CAIN
contains information and source material on the conflict
and politics in Northern Ireland.
CAIN is based within Ulster University.